Research Theme
Cardiology
Research Group
Department/Faculty Affiliations
Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics
Current Area of Research
Cardiac and vascular tissue engineering
Publications
Social
Akinola earned his PhD jointly from EMBL Barcelona and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, where he focused on engineered models of human microvasculature. Working with the Haase group, he developed 3D vascularised tissue models, harnessing iPSC technologies and microfluidics to generate perfusable cardiac-specific vascularised tissues and study coronary microvascular function under healthy and perturbed conditions.
Prior to EMBL, Akinola studied Polymer Engineering with a Biomedical Engineering minor at Case Western Reserve University, USA, where he worked with the Senyo group on extracellular matrix remodelling post-infarct. He also conducted research at MIT in the Kamm Lab and worked at Becton Dickinson in soft-tissue reconstruction.
Beyond research, he is passionate about mentoring and fostering a more equitable global scientific community, with a particular commitment to expanding scientific representation in the Global South.